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Posted On September 8, 2004
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Jelly Belly Joey

NBC’s Favorite “Friends” Hunk Is Obese According To Ridiculous Government Standards

Jelly Belly Joey Washington, DC – How you doin??? Matt LeBlanc’s smooth-talking character Joey debuts on NBC tomorrow—and while female fans across America are anxious to see the lovable character again, many would be surprised to learn that the former Friend is actually “obese” according to official government standards.

Sound crazy? Not as crazy as many of the ridiculous statistics fueling the over-hyped “obesity epidemic” today. In 1998, the U.S. government changed the standard by which overweight is measured. As a result, over 30 million Americans were shifted from a government-approved weight to the overweight category -- without gaining an ounce!

Because the same government standard also does not account for muscle mass, Jolly Joey is in good company with many other “overweight” and “obese” celebrities like Matt Damon, Will Smith, Tom Cruise and Bruce Willis. All of these celebrities, and many ordinary Americans, have fallen victim to this same flawed standard which is also the basis for the government’s claim that 65% of Americans today are overweight or obese.

So at 5’11’’ and 218 lbs., should Joey be cast at Fat Camp instead of the glamorous Hollywood Hills? Of course not, but the star should watch out for surprise guest performances by the self-described “food police” at the Center for Science in the Public Interest and trial lawyers (led by John “Sue the Bastards” Banzhaf) who want “fat taxes” and restaurant lawsuits to force Joey and all of us to slim down.

“When the government labels movie stars like Matt LeBlanc ‘obese,’ everyone should question what’s really driving the war on fat,” said Rick Berman, executive director of The Center for Consumer Freedom. “The so-called obesity epidemic is based on faulty assumptions and overblown statistics.”

Does the government think you’re fat? Take the test at http://www.consumerfreedom.com/games.cfm. Plug in your height and weight to get an instant verdict on how the government stacks you up against Joey and many other Hollywood stars.

The Center for Consumer Freedom is a nonprofit coalition supported by restaurants, food companies, and consumers, working together to promote personal responsibility and protect consumer choices.

For media comment, contact our media department at 202-463-7112 ext. 115




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